Pros and Cons to Booking a Fishing Charter

To fish, or not to fish – that’s a question plenty of people ask themselves when they arrive in towns where the main activity is exactly that. If the answer is to definitely fish, then the next question is: do you bring your own stuff and head out as a lone angler, or do you book a charter with everything included and a guide to show you the ropes? A lot of that depends on your experience, but even seasoned anglers may want to consider booking a fishing charter for a number of reasons. Take a look at the pros and cons of booking a fishing charter, no matter where in the world you are, or how much experience you have under your belt.

Pros

Gear Included

Rather than having to travel with your own rods, reels and lures, sometimes it’s nice to show up and know that you’ll have everything you need. Just check with the charter you’re considering in order to see what type of gear they use and how old it is. Most will have quality gear that may even be nicer than what you’re used to fishing with at home.

Guide

If you aren’t used to the waters, you won’t likely know the best spots, tide, or time to fish at for the area. Enter your guide, a trained and likely seasoned expert in that particular area. Their goal is to catch you as many fish as your limit allows, and they will know all the best spots, fishing styles, lures to use and everything else in order to make this happen.

Worry-free

Booking a charter means paying for it and showing up is your only job. They will have the gear, will set everything up, and take you to a spot to make sure that when you reel, a fish will end up on board. This takes the pressure off of you, and means all you need to focus on is reeling when the time comes. For some, that doesn’t sound much like fishing at all, but for others, the joy of fighting the big one, without the pressure of making sure he gets on the hook, is the best part of fishing and all they need.

No Guessing

While any day of fishing can be hit or miss, your guide will know exactly where to take you for the best shot at catching fish. You don’t need to try to follow other boats, read forum after forum to find out the secrets of the area, or take a guess at what the fish have been biting on lately.

No Driving

Sometimes, it can be hard to focus on setting up your rod, reeling in a fish and driving your boat at the same time. When you book a charter with a guide, they take care of it all – even that tricky, parallel parking maneuver in the marina. Not only does that mean you can kick your feet back while you fish, you can also crack a beer while you do it.

Cons

Don’t Do it all Yourself

For some, setting everything up, hooking that fish AND reeling it in are where the action’s really at. With their own gear, a guide is unlikely to let a guest – no matter how seasoned – set up his equipment. They also want to ensure you’re happy at the end of the day with a freezer full of fish. To make this happen, they’ll likely set the hook for you as well.

Unfamiliar Equipment

Maybe you’ve perfected your rod set up, or have a lucky lure that you know is the fish catcher. Maybe you’ve spent a lot of money on the best equipment on the market. When you book a charter, you rely on their set up to get the job done. For some, that’s a tough compromise to make.

Expensive

Hiring a guide with all the equipment and secrets of fishing in the area definitely comes at a cost, especially when you have your own boat gassed up and ready to go at home. However, fishing in new destinations for different types of fish is a blast and a challenge, often requiring someone that knows what they’re doing.

Check out www.salmoneye.net for a great charter that provides all those pros and more.

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Tips for planning your fishing trip

* Location, location, location

* Select an experienced fishing guide/charter company if doing a guided trip

* With your own boat, be sure to have a GPS, flashlight, flares, an extra tank of gas and all the Coast Guard requirements for your boat.